NHS Commissioners have tonight brought the consultation on their plans to close Putnoe Walk-In Centre to an abrupt close, 9 days early.

In a message issued via the Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group's Communications Team, Accountable Officer Alan Streets states that "We have had 1900 responses containing a wide range of views, and it is clear that we need to reconsider our proposals on the future of urgent care in Bedfordshire. For this reason, we have decided to close the current consultation phase today."

Mayor Dave Hodgson is seeking urgent clarification of what exactly this means. You can read the full statement from Mr Streets, which was issued this evening, on Mayor Dave's Facebook page, here

Commenting, Mayor Dave Hodgson said: "What a mess. I hope this means that the NHS Commissioners have recognised that they've got this wrong and must maintain the walk-in service. However, they seem to be making it up as they go along, and they need to clarify what is happening urgently.'

"They should still be accepting people's views on this matter, as they said they would be until August 19th. Meanwhile, I want to thank everyone who has taken part in the consultation and sent a resounding message that the walk-in service must not close.'

"I am seeking clarification from the CCG's Accountable Officer or the Acting Chair as a matter of urgency.'

"In the meantime, while the CCG might have bizarrely decided to put their fingers in their ears and refused to accept any more public comments, you can still sign our petition here: www.bedfordlibdems.org.uk/walkincentre. We'll be presenting it early next week, because while the Commissioners may not want people's views on this, we'll make sure they get them."

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